Caregiver Tips for Getting Through The Day

The duties of the caregiver usually change and increase over a period of time. One of the most difficult aspects of the caregiver role is that the job continues seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

One way to help caregivers get through the day is to set up a care plan and develop a routine.

The caregiver's care plan is very similar to the nurse's plan of care and the hospice plan of care. It is a daily record of the care and treatment of the care-receiver.

It provides a record of events that assist everyone on the care team. It also allows another caregiver to take your place fairly easily. With a written plan you don't have to rely on your memory.

A daily record will help both the caregiver and the care-receiver, and everyone on the care team. For any care plan to work, the care-receiver should be included in every possible aspect of the planning process.

This will not only assure that his or her dignity is respected, but also that the plan will be followed.

This may be easier said than done. The care-receiver may not be willing to admit that he/she needs help.

To get started the family must determine who is going to be the primary caregiver. This person will have the main responsibility for the actual care.

Establishing a well-thought out care plan will help relieve stress for everyone involved. Many decisions will have to be made.

An evaluation of needs and activities can be done to assess and determine a baseline which will help determine the caregiver's duties.

These may include housekeeping duties, food preparation, transportation, finances, telephone/correspondence, medication management, physical movement, feeding, grooming, toileting, dressing and bathing.

It is important to note the date when the care-receiver requires constant help in a task or activity which was not needed earlier. Keep in mind that your evaluation of the care-receiver will change over time.

To make your own care plan, be sure to include the following information: emergency information, personal information, basic contact information of the patient and their doctors, current health history, past health history, medication log, daily living routine and activities, leisure and recreational activities, calendar for appointments and events, questions for the doctors, daily log of medication intake, daily log of food and beverage intake, daily log of activities, caregiver questions and concerns and care-receiver questions and concerns.

The purpose of a care plan or organizer is to help both the care-receiver and the caregiver record daily information that may be helpful to everyone on the care team. It is a reference tool that can be reviewed as needs and conditions change.

Article by Rebecca Sharp Colmer